Bathing-suit.



STINEY JPJENKSA, OIIE GLEN WHITE, WEST VIRGINIA.

naarmate-SUIT.'

Specification o f Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. I2, i916..

application filed February 24, 1916. Serial No. 80,270.

To all ywhom t may concern:

Be it knownv that I, STINEY PENKSA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Glen White, in the county of Raleigh and State of `West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bathlit ing-Suits, of which the following is a specification.

lThis invention relates to a buoyant bathing suit and has for its object to provide a bathing suit that will float the wearer upon water.

Another object of the invention is to provide an air inflated bathing suit.

Still another object of the invention is\ to provide a bathing suit which Inay` be worn either inflated or collapsed and having means whereby it may be quickly and readily inflated.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an inflatable bathing suit having means whereby a greater amount of air may be directed to one part of the suit than to another part thereof whereby the position of the wearer in the water may be regulated.

With the above and other objects in view, I have invented the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevational view of my im proved bathing suit as being constructed and worn by a female, Fig. 2 is a similar view of a mans suit, Fig. 3 is a vertical section-al view of Fig. l, and Fig. 4 'is a fragmental sectional view of a modified form of the invention.

IJike refenence characters indicate like parts throughout the specification and in the views in the drawings in which 1, indicates a ladys suit constructed df two layers 2 and 3, of water yproof material, the inner surfaces 4 and 5 of which are held in relative spaced apart relation when the suit is inflated by means of the tufters or cords 6, the ends 7 of which are fixed to the fasteners 8 on the outer layer 2 and the ends -9 of which are fixed to the fasteners 10 on the inner layer 3. These cords 6 are graduated in length from the lower -end of the suit where the shortest cords 6a are located to the upper end of the suit where the largest cords 6b are located. This arrangenient provides for a greater amount of air in the upper part of the suit so that the wearer may assume either `an inclining or vertical position in the water, according to the amount of air forced into the space 11, betweenthe layers 2 and 3. All seams 12 are sewed directly together, thus per1nitting a neat fit. The suit when inflated has a tufted appearance but if desired, this may be overcome by the provision of the outer layer 13 of goods of anydesirable material, the seams of which may be sewed in with the seams 12. l

`An inating tube 14 is provided and so positioned that the wearer may inflate the suit after it has been put on, thus making it easy and comfortable to dress in and also making provision for wearing the suit part of the time withoutbeing inflated and then inflating it if desired or found necessary. For instance, if' the suit is used collapsed or uninflated and the wearer found himself in such a predicament that he required `means other than his own physical efforts to keep him afloat, he could quickly inflate the suit with a few puffs of breath into the tube 14.

The layers are preferably only from'one fourth to one half an inch ap'art and only a. small quantity of air will be required to inflate the device and sustain the wearer.-

W'hen only partly filled with air which will come to the top, Athe wearer 'will be held in a vertical position in the. water but if entirely inflated, the air being distributed throughout the length of the suit, the wearer will be normally held in an inclined position.

In Fig. 4, I show a slight modification of the invention' in which the upper part 15 of the suit is 'separated horizontally from the lower part 16 by means of the division wall 17 and a separate tube 18 is provided to inflate the lower part of the suit. Both of the tubes 14 and 17 are provided with valves of the usual kind for this purpose and not herein illustrated.

While this bathing suit is designed especially for amusement and'pleasure, it is also adaptable for al life saving suit for persons traveling on the water, as the material from which it is made is preferably thin waterproof silk. When collapsed, the suit may be folded compactly in a very small space. The suit, of course, can be made of any suitable material.

' Having now described my invention, that which I claim to be new and desire to procure by Iletters Patent is:

1. A suit having air tight inflatable walls and an outer covering sewed to said walls at the junctures thereof.

2. A common bathing suit having an inflatable lining, the walls of which taper apart from bottom to top and graduated connections for said Walls.

3. A common bathing suit having an inflatable lining, the walls of which taper apart from bottom to top and graduated connections for said walls, sai-d suit forming a skirt and bodice.

4. A common bathing suit having an inlatable lining, 'the walls of which taper apart from bottom to top and graduatedr connections for said walls, said suit forming a skirt and bodice and means whereby either of said sections may be inflated.

5. A suit having air tight inflatable walls, said walls being inclined apart from the bottom up and an outer covering for the suit sewed to said Walls at the junctures thereof.

6. A suit having air tight inflatable walls, said walls being inclined apart from the bottom up and an outer covering for the suit sewed to said Walls at the junctures thereof, said walls being of thin material.

7 A suit having air tight inflatable walls, said walls being inclined apart from the bottom up and an outer covering for the suit sewed to said walls atI the junctures thereof, said walls being of thin material and means for separatingthe space between said Walls.

8. A suit having air tight inflatable walls, said walls being inclined apart from the bottom up andan outer covering for the suit sewed to said Walls atv the junctures thereof, said walls being of thin material and means for separating the space between said walls to upper and lower reservoirs.

9. A suit having air tight inflatable walls, said walls being inclined apart from the bottomup and an outer covering for the suit sewed to said walls at the junctures thereof, said walls being of Athin material and means for separating'the space between said Walls to upper and lower reservoirs and independent means for inflating the upper andlower reservoirs.

.10. A suit having air tight inflatable Walls and an outer covering sewed to said walls at the juncture thereof, said suit being divided into upper and lower air compartments.

11. A suit having air tight inflatable walls andp an outer covering sewed to said Walls at the juncture thereof, said suit being divided into upper and lower air compartments and independent means for inflating said compartments.

12. A bathing suit havingan inflatable lining the walls of which taper apart from bottom to top and graduated connections for said walls, said lining being divided into separate compartments.

13. A bathing suit having an `inflatable lining the walls of which taper apart from bottom to top and graduated connections for said walls, said lining being divided into separate compartments and independent means foi' inflatingsaid compartments.

14.- An inflatable life saving suit divided into upper and lower compartments, the walls of one compartment being farther apart than the walls of the other compartment, said last being the lower compartment, independent means for inflating said compartments and an outer covering for said compartments.

15. An inflatable life saving suit divided -into `upper and lower compartments, the

Walls of one compartment being farther apart than the walls of the other compartment, said last being the lower compartment, independent means for inflating said compartments and an outer coveringfor said compartments resembling an ordinary bathing suit.

1G. An inflatable life saving suit divided into upper and lower compartments, the walls of one compartment being farther apart than the walls of the other compartment, said last being the lower compartment, independent means for inflating said compartments, an outer covering for said compartments resembling an ordinary bathing suit, said covering being sewed into the seams of said compartments.

In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

STINEY PENKSA.

Witnesses:

L. R. BROWNING, A. A. Porre. 

